1. Field of the Invention
The claimed invention generally relates to printing and, more particularly, to a printing system and a printing device that print an image based on a file attached to an electronic mail.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a system is known, in which a personal computer (PC), a mobile terminal, or the like transmits an electronic mail including an attached file to an electronic-mail address of a printing device, whereby the attached file is printed by the printing device (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-132638).
In this case, the transmission terminal transmits an electronic mail to the electronic-mail address of the printing device in a state in which an electronic file that is a print target is attached to the electronic mail. A print-document management server having a mail server function extracts the electronic file attached to the electronic mail whose destination is the electronic-mail address assigned to the printing device, and stores the electronic file. Then, the print-document management server converts the stored electronic file into an image format in which the specified printing device can perform printing. The printing device regularly inquires of the print-document management server whether print data whose destination is the subject device is present. In the case where the printing device has detected that print data whose destination is the subject device is present in the print-document management server, the printing device obtains the print data, and performs printing.
In the above-mentioned printing system, once leakage of the electronic-mail address of the printing device occurs, there is a probability that the printing device will come under attack such as transmission of a large number of electronic files from an unauthorized user. There is a security problem.
For this reason, a mechanism is desired which gives permission for printing or rejects printing in some manner without unconditionally giving permission to print the electronic file transmitted to the electronic-mail address of the printing device.
In the view of the above-mentioned problem, a goal of the claimed invention is to provide an authentication printing system that is a printing system which prints an image based on a file attached to an electronic mail, and that is capable of preferably giving permission for printing and rejecting printing.